2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK63AMG Owner's Manual

136 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Rear interior lighting on/off
(CLK coupe only)
2Right front reading lamp on/off
3Rocker switch for automatic control
system
4Left front reading lamp on/offDeactivating automatic control
Press the = symbol on rocker
switch3.
The interior lighting remains switched
off in darkness, even when you

unlock the vehicle

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch

open a door

open the trunkActivating automatic control
Press rocker switch3 to center
position.
The interior lighting switch on in dark-
ness, when you

unlock the vehicle

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch

open a door

open the trunk
The interior lighting switches off after ap-
proximately 10 seconds, see “Setting inte-
rior lighting delayed shut-off”
(
page 165).
!An interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
Leaving an interior lamp switch in the ON posi-
tion for extended periods of time with the engine
turned off could result in a discharged battery.
iThe interior lighting is factory-set to auto-
matic mode.
iIf a door remains open, the interior lighting
switches off automatically after approximately
5minutes.

137 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual control
Switching front interior lighting on and
off
Press the W symbol on rocker
switch3.
The front interior lighting comes on.
Press rocker switch3 to center
position to activate the automatic
control.
Switching rear interior lighting on and
off (CLK coupe only)
Press button V.
The lighting in the rear passenger
compartment comes on.
Press button V again.
The lighting in the rear passenger
compartment goes out.Switching front reading lamps on and off
Press the left or right button X to
switch on the desired front reading
lamp.
Press the left or right button X
again to switch off the respective front
reading lamp.
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the cor-
responding door entry lamps will switch on
in darkness when you open a door and the
automatic control is activated.
The door entry lamps will switch off when
the corresponding door is closed.
Trunk lamp
The trunk lamp switches on if the trunk is
opened.
If the trunk lid remains open, the trunk
lamp switches off automatically after
approximately 10 minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the head-
lamps, the door entry lamps will remain lit for
approximately 5 minutes.

138 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(
page 28).
1Reset button
The instrument cluster is activated when
you

open a door

switch on the ignition (page 40)

press the reset button1

switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster
settings in the Instrument cluster submenu
of the control system (
page 158).Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination
Use the reset button1 to adjust the
illumination brightness for the instrument
cluster.
To brighten illumination
Turn reset button1 clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination
Turn reset button1 counterclock-
wise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature, warn-
ing/indicator lamps, malfunction/warning
messages or the failure of any systems.
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to suit am-
bient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will also be
adjusted automatically when you switch on the
vehicle’s exterior lamps.

139 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature indicator is on
the right side in the instrument cluster
(
page 28).
Resetting trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the stan-
dard display in the multifunction dis-
play (
page 147).
If it is not displayed, press buttonè
orÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel repeatedly until the standard dis-
play appears (
page 142).
Press and hold the reset button on the
instrument cluster (
page 138) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Warning!G

Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.

Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the hood. Stay away
f r o m t h e e n g i n e i f y o u s e e o r h e a r s t e a m
coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!Excessive coolant temperature triggers a
warning in the multifunction display
(
page 406) and the red coolant warning lamp
in the instrument cluster comes on
(
page 383).
The engine should not be operated with the cool-
ant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Doing so
may cause serious engine damage which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iDuring severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature may
rise close to 248°F (120°C).

140 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer
(
page 28) denotes excessive engine
speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Clock
In vehicles with Audio 20, the clock can be
set via the control system (
page 160).
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is indicated in the
multifunction display (
page 141).The outside temperature sensor is located
in the front bumper area. Due to its loca-
tion, the sensor can be affected by road or
engine heat during idling or slow driving.
This means that the accuracy of the dis-
played temperature can only be verified by
comparison to a thermometer placed next
to the sensor, not by comparison to exter-
nal displays (e.g. bank signs etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iVehicles with COMAND*:
For information on setting the time in COMAND,
refer to the separate COMAND operating
instructions.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

141 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button is in
position1. The control system enables you
to

call up information about your vehicle

change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Current shift program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever posi-
tion/gear range
For more information on menus displayed
in the multifunction display, see “Menus”
(
page 144).
iThe displays for the audio systems (radio,
CD player etc.) will appear in English, regardless
of the language selected.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions
permit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approxi-
mately 14 m) every second.

142 Controls in detail
Control system
Multifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel (
page 30).
1Multifunction display
Operating the control system
2Selecting the submenu or setting the
volume:
Press button
æup / to increase
çdown / to decrease
3Telephone*:
Press button
sto take a call
to dial
to redial
tto end a call
to reject an incoming call
4Menu systems:
Press button
èfor next menu
ÿfor previous menu
5Moving within a menu:
Press button
jfor next display
kfor previous display

143 Controls in detail
Control system
Depending on the selected menu
(
page 144), pressing the buttons on the
multifunction steering wheel will alter what
is shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, and ac-
companying functions or submenus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
Audio, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being
arranged in a circular pattern.

If you press buttonè orÿ
repeatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.

If you press buttonk orj
repeatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.In the
Settings... menu, instead of func-
tions you will find a number of submenus
for calling up and changing settings. For
instructions on using these submenus, see
“Submenus in the Settings menu”
(
page 156).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.
The menus are described on the following
pages.